A Miami police officer has been suspended with pay after a video circulated online that appears to show him kicking a suspect in the head as the man lay on the ground.
According to the Miami Herald, a witness recorded the incident. The video reportedly shows a man lying on his stomach with his hands on his head while one officer approaches to handcuff him. Officer Mario Figueroa then reportedly runs up and kicks the man in the head.
Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina suspended the officer soon after the video spread, saying it “depicts a clear violation of policy.” The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office also opened an investigation. The State Attorney said she was “shocked and appalled” by what she saw in the video.
The suspect, identified as David, was charged with third degree grand theft, fleeing and eluding a police officer, reckless driving with damage to property or person, driving with a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting an officer without violence. Those are charges only, and he is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.
The witness, Lisa, said she saw the incident just before 10 a.m. Thursday outside her apartment. “He ran around and then he was face to face with police,” she said. “He put his hands on his head. The police said lay down. He did. And then the police just came and kicked him.”
Officials declined to give more details beyond the paid suspension, but police did release the arrest report. In it, officers say they saw David driving a stolen Jeep Cherokee. They say he sped off when the sirens came on, crashed into a wall and ran. According to police, he ignored commands to get on the ground and took a fighting stance, which led the officer to fire a Taser. The report says the Taser was ineffective, and it is unclear whether it hit him. David eventually surrendered. The report reportedly does not mention the kick.
The investigation is ongoing.
